Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) says Democrats need to elect “more liberals” if they want to pass massive spending packages.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Manchin said, “I’ve never been a liberal in any way, shape, or form. There’s no one who ever thought I was. I’ve been governor, I’ve been secretary of state, I’ve [a] state legislator, I’ve been a U.S senator, and I have voted pretty consistently all my whole life.”
“I don’t fault any of them who believe that they’re much more progressive and much more liberal, God bless them…I guess for them to get [their preferred bill], elect more liberals. I’m not asking them to change. I’m willing to come from zero to [$1.5 trillion],” he added.
He also suggested that progressive Democrats should “take whatever we aren’t able to come to an agreement with today and take that on the campaign trail next year.”
“And I’m sure that they’ll get many more liberal, progressive Democrats with what they want,” he added.
Watch the video below:
Newsy Manchin: Told a group of us $1.5 trillion is his number.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 30, 2021
Doesn't explicitly say he won't go higher. But made clear to Biden that was his ceiling. Biden told him he wants more.
Says this is going to take time
Says he's no liberal. pic.twitter.com/sEeOkwE68F
As Manchin spoke, protesters could be heard chanting, “Hey, Joe, we had a deal.”
Shortly after President Joe Biden announced that he had reached a deal on a roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package earlier this year, Congressional Democrats said they wanted to pass that bill as well as a larger $3.5 trillion spending package, and progressives have linked the fate of the two bills.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the House Progressive Caucus, signaled that members of her caucus are ready to sink the smaller bipartisan bill unless they also vote on the $3.5 trillion spending package at the same time.
CNN’s Jake Tapper asked on Sept. 21, “So, 48 Democrats will vote against the House infrastructure bill if it does not come with the budget reconciliation package, is that right?”
Jayapal responded, “More than half of our members will vote for both bills. And this was the deal, Jake, that came out of the Senate. When progressive senators passed the bipartisan bill in the Senate, it was on the specific understanding and commitment that both bills would move together.”
The Senate already passed the infrastructure bill but not the reconciliation bill. The House has not passed either piece of legislation.
On Thursday, Politico reported that Manchin proposed slashing the larger spending bill to $1.5 trillion. A document outlining the proposal warned, “Senator Manchin does not guarantee that he will vote for the final reconciliation legislation if it exceeds the conditions outlined in this agreement.”
Senate Democrats are hoping to use a process known as budget reconciliation, which is immune from a filibuster, to pass the spending package with just 51 votes, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote.
In order for that process to work, all 50 Democrats would have to vote for the spending bill. However, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has said he will not vote for a bill with a $3.5 trillion price tag.